The Humanities for Everybody Graduation for the 2012-2013 academic year commemorating H4E students’ accomplishments and completion of the program was held on FridayMay 10, 2013 at 6:30 p.m. at Western Michigan University’s University Center for the Humanities. Below please find the graduation announcement and the graduation slideshow displayed at the graduation ceremony:

Check out this You Tube video created by Western Michigan University’s Communications intern for the University Center for the Humanities, Denise Negrea highlighting the programs offered in the Humanities For Everybody Program.

Humanities for Everybody is featured in the Kalamazoo Gazette and mlive. Ursula Zerilli writes about how Humanities for Everybody has transformed lives through free access to higher education in the humanities, participant empowerment and leadership development. Rondel Yarbrough, a Humanities for Everybody Coordinator states in the article that the idea of the H4E program is to “change minds from reactive to reflective.”

Humanities for Everybody is featured by one of the sponsoring partners of the H4E program, Western Michigan University, in the WMU News. Jeanne Baron highlights the courses that WMU faculty are teaching in the H4E program and the good work WMU, Open Doors Kalamazoo and Kalamazoo Neighborhood Housing Services are doing in the Kalamazoo community.

Humanities for Everybody is currently recruiting for our 2012-2013 course.

Our first class on “History of American Slavery” began on September 10, 2012. However, you can still join in! We will be continously enrolling students in upcoming classes during the 2012-2013 program year.

Please reference the “Professors and Courses” page for more information regarding this dynamic community-based Humanities program! Please review the “Apply!” page to obtain an application and instructions on how to submit your application today!

**There has been a class location change***

Classes will be be held on Mondays and Thursdays from 6:30 pm to 8 pm at Cooper Apartments (611 W Lovell, Kalamazoo Township, MI 49007 – Cross streets are Pearl & Oak) during the Fall 2012 and Spring 2013 semesters.

Students in the Humanities for Everybody program coalesce into an intimate community of learners. They are given tools and opportunities to become more reflective, re-engage in the community and experience first-hand the potential that education has to transform their lives. In fact, there have already been practical outcomes for some members of the class. One participant just took her GED test in May, and another is scheduled for June. One man, who was essentially homeless, is now employed. And another young lady has won a scholarship and started classes at Kalamazoo Valley Community College.

Anderson investigates a concept known as “subconscious racial bias.” This is described as “a bias that kids pick up on– from messages they hear at school, at home, the characters in the TV shows they watch, what they see online.” As Killen points, these are not overt feelings of racism, but rather “the things that we’re not aware of, the things that we do when we don’t realize it.”

Thanks to the entire class for making our Philosophy module sizzle. We had some wonderful discussions, and we can’t wait to read your papers.

As Dini said in class, your papers should be around 3-5 pages long, double-spaced is fine, and expand on the ideas you presented in class yesterday. Try to incorporate or address any suggestions Dini gave you in class, such as talking about the philosophies you don’t agree with, as well as those that you do.